Yumi had no idea why she was even doing this, but something inside her just wouldn’t let her stand by and allow those girls—who were clearly only interested in Kouhei now that his appearance had drastically improved—to get anywhere close to him.
It irritated her. They didn’t know a damn thing about him. They only saw what was on the surface with the way he looked now as well as the aura he carried. They had no clue about what really made Kouhei charming. And Yumi despised the idea of anyone approaching him for such shallow reasons. For her, what mattered most was his inside like his kindness and even his awkward sincerity as well as his strength when he needed it. To her, those things were just as good, if not far better, than his outer appearance.
"Uh, it seems like he already has a girlfriend," one of the girls whispered reluctantly.
"Aw~ but I wanted to at least get a picture of him," another complained, pouting in disappointment.
"It’d be bad if we just went up and asked for something like that, right? He already has a girlfriend. I mean, we’d just be annoying at that point."
"Yeah... it’s better if we just leave them be. But still... I really wanted to at least take a picture with him."
The group of girls finally gave up and backed off, though their voices were dripping with disappointment.
Yumi quietly let out a sigh of relief. It looked like they’d abandoned the idea of approaching Kouhei altogether. But then—her stomach twisted the second she realized what she was doing. Her hand was tightly wrapped around Kouhei’s arm... and without meaning to, she had pressed her breasts right up against him.
"I-I’m sorry!" Yumi quickly stammered, pulling back a little as her cheeks flared red.
"No, I mean... thank you," Kouhei replied, his voice calm, almost gentle.
That smile he gave her afterward—it hit her like a wave. Yumi’s heart jolted, and her whole face burned even hotter. It was so unfair. That smile of his was way too much. It was impossible for her not to blush when he looked at her like that. Her chest felt tight, her pulse was racing, and she couldn’t even meet his eyes for too long. It was ridiculous how much of an effect he had on her without even realizing it.
And while the two of them seemed locked in what looked very much like a couple’s moment, Chihiro stood a short distance away, just staring. Her eyes lingered on them for a while—silent and unreadable—before she finally turned her gaze away.
After the three of them finished their lunch, they pressed forward with their search. By now, they had wandered far from their own town. The streets grew thinner with the signs of civilization fading, and it became clear they would need to head to another town if they wanted to continue looking. But Kouhei wasn’t the type to give up, not when the search mattered so much to him.
Still, every step further away increased the risk. Being outside their own territory meant more danger. Without proper preparation, pushing on blindly would only put them all at risk.
"Let’s turn back for today, Chihiro-san," Kouhei finally said. His tone carried the weight of reluctant acceptance.
With that, the three decided to call it for the day.
But just as they were about to make their way back to the car, a chill ran through the air. Chihiro froze, her body reacting before her mind could catch up. She felt a huge and an ominous presence, and it was sharp and hostile.
She launched herself toward him, tackling him out of the way in the nick of time. Kouhei, completely caught off guard, had no idea what was happening until he saw it—a violent strike slashing through the air where he’d been standing just a moment ago.
The ground trembled from the impact. Dust and fragments of dirt burst into the air. Chihiro’s strength had pulled him clear, but the attack didn’t miss everything. Her car took the full blow, the explosion ripping it apart in an instant. Metal screeched, glass shattered, and within seconds, the vehicle was nothing but a heap of smoking debris.
"What the hell’s going on?" Kouhei demanded, his voice sharp.
"We’re under attack, Kouhei-sama," Chihiro answered quickly, her posture already shifting into combat readiness. Her focus wasn’t on the destroyed car at all—she didn’t spare it even a glance. What mattered was keeping him safe.
Yumi’s eyes darted to the attacker, and her whole body stiffened the moment she saw it—the symbol painted across their arms and armor. Recognition hit her like ice water.
Her lips trembled. "No..."
"Kukuku..." A mocking laugh echoed as a man stepped forward, his figure silhouetted against the light. "So, the Child of Anti-Prophecy needed help just to dodge that? I thought you’d be a not so easy prey. Guess I was wrong."
He held a spear in one hand, its tip still billowing with smoke. His body hovered above the ground, suspended in the air as if gravity itself didn’t apply to him.
Then, three more emerged at his side, standing tall and armed.
"They’re Nagano Family soldiers, Kouhei-sama," Chihiro muttered darkly. "But not ordinary ones. If I’m right... they’re Spear Warriors. The ones said to have once taken down an angel. We mustn’t underestimate them."
Even her voice carried a hint of unease. She wasn’t confident she could handle enemies like these. But Kouhei—Kouhei was different. He was strong enough to stand against them. Defeating them might not be easy, maybe not even possible, but if there was a chance, she had to support him.
And then there was Yumi. She wasn’t a fighter, and Chihiro knew it. She wasn’t useless, well not entirely—she could play a supportive role—but this situation was far beyond what she could handle.
The truth was cruel that Yumi’s very existence was the reason they were here. It wasn’t much of a secret that she was the daughter of a Demon Lord. But her birth hadn’t been from love—it had been out of necessity, a pawn created for someone else’s ambition. And now, the Nagano Family looked determined to drag her back, no matter how much blood it cost them.
"I see..." Kouhei’s voice cut through the tension.
Even surrounded, even with danger pressing in from every direction, he didn’t waver.
He straightened his posture, his eyes fixed squarely on the four enemies. There wasn’t the slightest trace of fear in him.
"So... these guys are after Yumi-san, right?"
"They probably are. Yes," Chihiro answered firmly.
"Then they’re our enemies."
The words rang out like steel. And in the same instant, Kouhei’s aura burst forth, swelling around him like a tidal wave of raw energy. The rıghtful source is novel·fire·net
Yumi’s breath caught in her throat. The instant she felt it, her heart slammed violently against her ribs. It pounded so hard she could hear nothing else—just the sound of her own heartbeat, roaring in her ears, drowning out everything around her.
It was overwhelming, terrifying, and exhilarating all at once. The air itself felt heavy, like the atmosphere had been swallowed by the force of his conviction.
And all Yumi could think was—this was Kouhei. This was the man she couldn’t stop herself from falling for.
"Oh? Looks like he’s got some fight in him after all," one of the men smirked. "Guess you’re not as useless as I thought you’d be."
"You probably don’t know this, so let me spell it out for you," another one sneered. "Over a hundred of our men have been deployed at that mansion where the rest of your faction is holed up. That’s more than enough to wipe those things out of existence. By now, they’ve probably already started raiding it... hell, it might even be over already. Too bad you won’t get the chance to witness their deaths with your own eyes. But don’t worry—once we’re done here, we’ll make sure you follow them."
Yumi’s body began to tremble, her heart sinking deeper with every word. This was all her fault. If she had just gone back to the Nagamo Family... then none of this would have happened. Because of her, the entire Kouhei Faction was now in danger.
But when she looked at Kouhei, he didn’t seem worried at all.
"Is that all?" he asked flatly.
The soldiers froze for a second, then burst out laughing.
"You think a washed-up former human like you is enough to make us nervous? Don’t make me laugh—you’re nothing but a failed product!"
With that, they swung their spears, unleashing a violent explosion of force. The shockwave ripped forward like a raging storm, tearing through the air and rushing straight at him, just like the earlier attack.
Kouhei didn’t even bother dodging this time. Instead, he raised his arm—and in his hand, what was once flesh now gleamed as a sword, its blade catching the light like it had always been a part of him. The shockwave slammed against it, but the moment it touched the blade, the blast split in two, scattering harmlessly to either side.
"We can make this easy," Kouhei said coldly, pointing his sword at them. "You just leave us be. But if you really wanna get hard about it, then fine—let’s take this the hard way."